Confessions of a Dangerous Mind

Not every movie takes me to a certain place or scratches open an old wound or confirms something. Sometimes a good movie is just a good movie. This is an example.

Sam Rockwell plays Chuck Barris, the man who once hosted "The Gong Show," which was a weird variety show/game show sort of thing in the 1970s and '80s in which amateur, remotely talented people performed some sort of stupid human trick or talent for celebrity judges.

If the contestants did well, they were rewarded with points and eventually a small amount of cash and their 15 minutes of fame. If they sucked, they were "gonged," or rejected, and had to go away. Some celebrity literally got up and banged a gong to make the person go away, and that was that.

People mostly watched for the gonging. Or they waited for the regular performers, such as Gene Gene, the Dancing Machine. People did a lot of drugs in the 1970s.

"The Gong Show" is long gone, lost to the television graveyard, but we've not lost our taste for otherwise normal people doing stupid things on television. We have another show now that's a lot like this. We call that show "American Idol".

I don't remember much else about "The Gong Show," except the gonging, and occasionally Chuck Barris pleading with the gonger, "Oh, why you gotta do that to poor [gongee's name here]."

I do remember The Unknown Comic — a comedian who performed with a paper bag over his head. I thought that was a stroke of genius, even then, however creepy the idea. And I never did drugs.

I don't know many people with whom I can sit down and talk about "The Gong Show." This show was a contemporary of the dark-haired Bob Barker on "The Price is Right" and Richard Dawson's "Family Feud." If you're older than 30, you might remember the show.

Anyway, Chuck Barris wrote an autobiography about a secret life he led when his television career was starting out. In that secret life, he killed people for a living. That's this film.

That's Michael Cera as a young Chuck Barris. There's Drew Barrymore. George Clooney directs and plays a supporting role. Charlie Kaufman wrote the script. Look at all the names. This film is littered with cameos. That alone should make you want to see this, or see this again.

Game show hosts aren't right in the head, and that's one big reason why this film works. This is a darkly comic biopic about a former game show host who just might be crazy, or he might be a government assassin.

I watch this and I wonder what keeps Alex Trebek going after 20-plus years on "Jeopardy!" How come Pat Sajak hasn't killed himself? Ray Combs killed himself not long after his last show (skip ahead to 3:49 to watch Combs ditch the winning family and walk off the stage before the credits end).

Are other game show hosts moonlighting as paid assassins too? Maybe that's what keeps them sane after the repetition of spinning wheels and Daily Doubles and Plinko. Maybe that's what keeps game show hosts happy. Is anybody happy in Los Angeles?

Now Drew Carey, who has battled depression and attempted suicide in the past, hosts "The Price is Right." Will that last? I hope Drew Carey lives a long and happy life, but living the life of a game show host...

I mean, hosting a game show host has to wear on you, right?